JCPenney’s search results on Google have been on a strange trajectory over the past few months. For weeks before the holiday shopping season, just about every related search term — from “bedding” to “dresses” — would include the retailer among the top listings. Then, within the last few days, there was an abrupt about-face, with its positioning dropping sharply. This journey is not so strange, though, in light of this weekend’s publication of an investigative report on JCPenney’s Google rankings on The New York Times. Essentially, JCPenney’s search rankings were elevated via so-called black hat search techniques, the Times found.
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JCPenney, Google Shrug Off Accusations of Search Shenanigans
Posted by: Erika Morphy February 14, 2011 12:05 PMJCPenney’s search results on Google have been on a strange trajectory over the past few months. For weeks before the holiday shopping season, just about every related search term — from “bedding” to “dresses” — would include the retailer among the top listings. Then, within the last few days, there was an abrupt about-face, with its positioning dropping sharply. This journey is not so strange, though, in light of this weekend’s publication of an investigative report on JCPenney’s Google rankings on The New York Times. Essentially, JCPenney’s search rankings were elevated via so-called black hat search techniques, the Times found.